Do you suffer from Christmas anxiety?

Have you had bad Christmas experiences?
Or do you remember Christmas or holidays as a happy time? 

Did you experience Christmas (or other family holidays) turning into something else than a cosy easy-going get-together?

No happy family around a full dining table and a happy chat next to a pretty tree and Christmas presents?

No relaxing sweet moments?

Maybe the atmosphere at your childhood home too was tense during Christmas and you hoped Christmas would be over soon.

Or your parents took too much mulled wine or something stronger?
Maybe wine and beer have flowed on the dinner table so that you have been intimidated as a child.
(Drinking was not the issue in my childhood family and several friends had that in their houses). 

I have many memories of Christmas when my childhood home was tense, especially on Christmas Eve.

My mom was stressed and wanted everything to be “perfect” and “as it should be” and “as it had always been”.

At times my dad tried to avoid the fight, and did what he was told to do.
And eventually he got irritated, angry, and after some arguing and yelling left the house to cool off.
I stayed and felt a lot of tightness in my body and stomach ache.☹️

I usually felt tension in my stomach already when I woke up on Christmas Eve and often hoped that maybe this Christmas would be different.
I thought that if I just help more and if I am kind and quiet then maybe everything will be fine.

Unfortunately, no matter how much I cleaned and chopped vegetables, the tension was there and Christmas Eve felt heavy for me.
I still remember how the tightness in my stomach felt. 

Now I am 52 years old and I will spend Christmas in my own home and I try to stress as little as possible.
I will make the foods I like making and buy mostly ready-made food from the store.
I don’t need a perfect Christmas table decoration.

I want to be at peace with my loved ones, eat, chat and also read a book in peace.

That’s a perfect Christmas for me.

How do you want to spend your Christmas / holidays?
Are you going to spend holidays the way you want or are you fulfilling the wishes of others?

What do you wish for in Christmas and what worries you?
Whatever you decide to do I hope you will take good care of yourself.

We wish you a great and peaceful Christmas / Happy Holidays!

Hugs,
Tuulia & Pete ❤️